If you live in an area known to have a radon problem you have most likely tested your home to see what levels of gas exist there. But has your local school been tested?
Exposure to this colourless, odourless gas causes tens of thousands of deaths from lung cancer each year globally.
In law children are protected by the provisions made for members of the public. Teachers and staff are ‘employees’ and so responsibility for their health and safety rests with their employers. In the UK schools are required to undertake remedial measures if radon levels are above 400 Bq m3 – the threshold enforced by the HSE.
It’s important that the measurement of radon in schools is undertaken during term time as variable results will be obtained during long holiday periods when schools are closed and ventilation is minimal.
For your own peace of mind it may be worth checking that duty holders in schools have been contacted by the Health Protection Agency to raise awareness of radon. |
